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The problem, from a dramatic standpoint, is that to have a future celebrity you have to have to first invent some sort of future art or sport

This just reminded me, although they call Baseball a relic which is seldom remembered, it does still seem to carry some currency in the 24th century. Buck Bokai (sp?) is recognised very much as a celebrity.

I am trying to think - did we ever see much evidence of 'modern' popular culture in Star Trek? Everyone seemed to be into popular culture from many centuries past, did we ever see a 24th century celeb?

Not 24th century, but we heard about a WWIII movie sweeping the awards in ENT: "Home" in 2254, and Carter Winston from TAS: "The Survivor" was a famous rich philanthropist, who amassed a dozen fortunes and used them to help planets and colonies in need, which had made him quite a celebrity.

...By all of two people in the Federation, it seems - Stubbs and Sisko.

Even today, obscurity can carry the appearance of popularity, as a "personal cult" can be effectively constructed by a single person - the fan, not the target of idolatry. However, it doesn't appear as if either Stubbs or Sisko would have actively marketed the virtues of their hero or his obscure field of proficiency to the rest of the world(s). They just found these personally intriguing. I don't think this quite meets the criteria of "popular", as the population involved is so insignificant. (Well, insignificantly small, at any rate.)

Maybe Data forgot to mention, after 2040 people got their entertainment solely from the internet.

I think in 1987 television was considered strictly light entertainment, there was nothing like Sopranos or Breaking Bad, there were mostly network sitcoms and procedurals. So saying we got tired of that is just an extension of saying we stopped caring about frivolous distractions.

Well, there were a number of references to the sport of Parrises Squares on TNG and VOY, and it seems to be fairly widespread in the Federation, at least. Given how entrenched sports are in our pop culture now, I'd think they will probably still be a part of it in the 24th century.

Roddenberry was probably trying to remain intellectually and maybe even philosophically consistent. The absence of the monetary system in his future vision should presuppose the absence of its main technique for self-perpetuation in the public consciousness (i.e. pop culture/media-consumerism/idolatry). I mean I don't think Roddenberry envisioned Black Fridays or Paris Hilton for his future humanity.

"The Spectacle is capital accumulated to the point where it becomes image." Guy Debord - The Society of the Spectacle.

I don't know. The celebrities of the future may not be movie stars and pop bands and such, but there are bound to be colorful, exceptional individuals whose exploits, accomplishments, and/or scandals attract public interest. That's pretty much a constant throughout human history. Look at Cleopatra or Lord Byron or Mark Twain or Charles Dickens or Houdini or Nellie Bly or Buffalo Bill or whomever. Can't imagine that will have changed by Kirk's time.

Indeed, according to "Amok Time," Spock had already become something of a living legend on Vulcan, which is why T'Pring did not want to marry him. Guess she didn't want the spotlight of being the wife of a celebrity!

And I imagine Lenore Karidian generated lots of press. Think about it: glamorous actress-turned-murderer tries for comeback after being "cured" by advanced 23rd century psychiatry. The tabloid headlines practically write themselves!

I don't know. The celebrities of the future may not be movie stars and pop bands and such, but there are bound to be colorful, exceptional individuals whose exploits, accomplishments, and/or scandals attract public interest. That's pretty much a constant throughout human history. Look at Cleopatra or Lord Byron or Mark Twain or Charles Dickens or Houdini or Nellie Bly or Buffalo Bill or whomever. Can't imagine that will have changed by Kirk's time.

Indeed, according to "Amok Time," Spock had already become something of a living legend on Vulcan, which is why T'Pring did not want to marry him. Guess she didn't want the spotlight of being the wife of a celebrity!